


Soullessness won't keep you from falling

by YuMe89



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Not Known (Teen Wolf), Canon-typical creepiness of Derek, First Kiss, Happy Ending, M/M, Reaper Derek Hale, Reincarnation, Stiles is involved, blink and you miss it mentioning of Stiles being a cop, but they're a thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 12:41:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24969886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YuMe89/pseuds/YuMe89
Summary: Stiles dies and Derek reaps him. But, is that all?-"Man, I'm so pissed off that I can't research anything right now. Being dead is not cool.", Stiles grumbled and made Derek laugh."It's not supposed to be.", Derek bantered back. "Just for your information, most Mythological Creatures are real. Well, the ones who haven't gone extinct at least.""Oh man, why do I have this knowledge when I don't need it anymore? You could've come in handy way before I died.", Stiles grumbled."You mean: finally died. I lost count how often I was standing there, waiting for your death.", Derek replied, rolling his eyes heavenward."I feel so loved right now.", Stiles said, tone sarcastic, hand placed over his heart."I'm not sure I can feel that at all. But I do know what it's like to be annoyed.", Derek threw back, hiding his smirk as he turned his face away from Stiles.-
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 4
Kudos: 120





	Soullessness won't keep you from falling

**Author's Note:**

> I hate myself! Did this instead of sleep. Who even needs it, am I right?  
> Got those first lines in my head and they wouldn't leave, so I wrote it and at first it was half a page and I  
> thought to myself "Guess it'll stay that way, maybe try a drabble for once or just forget about it altogether."  
> And then it hit me. Nine pages later we're here. Kill me now.  
> It would fit the theme. 
> 
> If you find words that don't make sense, tell me, I was tired and hungry. Didn't proof read, because Meh.
> 
> enjoy <3

  


  


  
Stiles was a flurry of movements, always in motion, even in his sleep. He tapped his fingers, jiggled his knees, chewed on everything and his eyes flitted over from one point to another.  


Stiles was constant sound. Clicking, humming, talking, shuffling. He was a bundle of energy, barely contained by his human body.  


Sometimes it looked like he was about to vibrate right out of his skin.

It got better with time, Stiles found a way to release pent up energy, not all, but enough.

He was still different, until he wasn't.

Battling monsters and fighting crime had defined him, he grew up. If stared at for too long, his nervous habit made an appearance. This boy- no, a man now, was still a nervous bundle of energy.  


Derek thought it would be loud and tragic, when Stiles would finally die. He thought there would be screaming involved or even frantic grasping just a little bit longer.  


He had been wrong of course.

Stiles went willingly and without asking questions. He looked at Derek, nodded once and followed him. Leaving the scene of his death.

They had met a few times, though Stiles didn't know that. Every time someone was about to die, Derek felt this urge to meet the person who was meant to cross the line. He was the one to take Claudia, meeting Stiles for the first time, when he was still a child.  


Fate formed a connection and Derek knew since that day, he was meant to take Stiles when his life would end.

He hadn't known he would encounter him more often than not and witnessing one near death experience after another. Stiles was like a cat, he had nine life's. At least that's what Derek thought.  


So when the final day arrived, the Reaper was almost positive it was another false alarm.

He knew the second Stiles eyes met his in recognition. Stiles didn't know him, but Derek was positive he knew what was coming. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see a blinding white light. It was the warmest Derek had ever felt, knowing it had to be Stiles mom waiting for him.  


"Are you an angel?" Stiles asked, touching Derek's hand without warning. No one ever touched him before. He should've known this man was different. A rush went through him from the point they were touching to every ending of his nerves. He hadn't known he could feel this at all.  


"No," Derek simply replied, turning slightly to look at the light beside them that Stiles didn't seem to even see. "I'm a Reaper."  


"You sure could reap me anytime." Stiles replied easily and put his hand over his mouth. Derek was aware that Stiles was a mouthy human, but his filter seemed to be completely gone after his death.  


"I tried," Derek knew about humor, thank you very much. "You always found a way to escape though."

"Wait, like, seriously?" Stiles licked his lips and stared at him.

"You had a couple near death experiences. Being friends with Werewolves isn't something I'd advise." Derek replied, inclining his head as if in thought.  


"And you'd be the expert on that, I guess." the ghostly human deadpanned. It made Derek smile widely, showing his teeth. He couldn't remember when he had done that last, probably the little girl two hundred years ago, who had kicked him in the shin.  


"Whoa..." Stiles looked at him with big whisky eyes. "Your bunny teeth are adorable."

"You should go, your mom is waiting." Derek said, ducking his head a bit out of embarrassment. He didn't know what he looked like to the freshly dead. He had been created to guide people, human or not, to the other side. There are no mirrors at the world in between. And up until now, Derek never even thought about it before.  


As he looked as Stiles soul, he could see a glimpse of what his reincarnation would live through. It looked like a nice life. One without a sudden death by a Wendigo.  


"Oh...can't I stay with you...at least for a while?" Stiles asked, looking at him inquiringly.

Derek eyed the slightly flickering light beside them. "I'm not sure. No one ever wanted to before."

"What are you looking at?" Stiles wanted to know, following his line of sight. His brows furrowed in confusion.

"Your passage way. You don't see it?" the Reaper answered. He had never met someone who couldn't see where they were supposed to go after dying. Stiles shook his head and looked again, like it would somehow change suddenly.  


"...no." Stiles sounded cautious. "What's your name, anyway?" he asked, a hesitant smile displaying on his lips.

The Reaper contemplated answering and decided it wouldn't do any harm. "Derek."

And suddenly the light in Derek's peripheral vision was gone, just vanished and he abruptly looked in its prior direction. "No." even to his own ears he sounded panicked.  


"What? What happened? Did someone tell you it's forbidden to reveal your name?" Stiles wanted to know. Then in a hushed voice: "Was it God?"  


"No, don't be ridiculous, God doesn't exist." Derek snapped instantly regretting it, when he saw Stiles taking a step back. "We got a different problem: Your light is gone."  


When their eyes met, Derek realized that Stiles had no clue why that was a bad thing, so he elaborated: "You can't cross over without your light."  


"Uhm, can't you...bring it back?" the former human asked and Derek rolled his eyes.

"No, it's not that simple, I don't control that part. My job is to guide you to the light, sometimes people need to talk a bit to even get that they have died. They were always able to see the light, so I don't know what's wrong with you." Derek grumbled, this situation was grating on his nerves. He didn't know what to do or to expect. This had never happened before.  


"So...maybe I'm not supposed to be wherever my mom is." Stiles mused, earning another eye roll. "What happens to bad people then? Do you help them cross too?" Stiles asked suddenly and Derek knew exactly why.  


"You mean a murderer for example? Not exactly," he said, looking around. The intermediate world was dark, a million stars around them. It looked different for everyone. "I do meet them, everyone dies on earth at some point. But...They don't get a light." Derek answered, still not able to look at Stiles. It was kind of gross to admit what Reaper's did to bad people, humans and mythological creatures alike.  


"Okay, so what if you have to do the same to me?" Stiles asked, he did a bad job in hiding how scared he was.  


"No! I don't. Look, just believe me when I tell you I would know if...you were one of those." Derek said, crossing his arms in a futile way to distance himself. He probably looked like he was stubborn.  


"Derek...tell me, I need to know." Stiles asked, throat working visibly as he swallowed.

The Reaper closed his eyes in defeat. He was not able to say no to Stiles. "Your soul would've changed out of your corporeal appearance by now, only leaving what could be described of a ball of light."  


"Okay, that's good, right? At least this allows me to talk. What happens next, are they turned into stars or whatever that is around us?" Stiles questioned, pointing around them.  


"No, that's your personal in-between. It has nothing to do with anyone else." Derek sighed. "Okay, I'm going to tell you, but only because I got an inkling you wouldn't leave it alone otherwise."  


His answer caused Stiles to stare around some more, absolutely fascinated by what he's looking at.

"Most souls are reincarnated. If your wish to see a specific person again is great enough and is mirrored by the one still living, your soul will be on hold in a safe place. Until you can reconcile. After, you can decide if you want to stay or be reborn."  


"Wow, that's so cool. Have you ever been there? What is it like?" Stiles fired off the next round of questions. "I bet it's awesome."

"I- I have never been there, I can't cross over. I don't have a soul." Derek admitted a bit sheepish.

"Then how do you know about it?" one eyebrow raised in suspicion, arm crossed to mirror Derek.

"I just know. Stiles it's- It's like you intuitively knew you can't fly, only fall on your own. Or that you're not able to breath under water. You just know. It's the same with this for me." Derek replied, huffing. This was strange. The whole thing was just strange.  


"Oh, okay, that makes an odd kind of sense. Anyway, you never said what happens to bad people." Stiles responded, looking like he was deep in thought.  


Derek had hoped he would forget and sighed again. "They don't get the chance. Their souls get...destroyed."

"Destroyed how? Like Hell? Are they getting tortured?" Stiles asked, still so very curious.

"No, damn it, there is no Hell and there is no Heaven. Those are just constructs created by humans to make you feel better." Derek growled, actually growled. It was like Stiles brought out a whole other person in him.  


If he had been a person, that is. He is still a Reaper.

When Stiles was quiet to give Derek time to answer, he just decided to get it over with: "We eat them."  


Another step back, like he was scared of Derek. "W-What do you mean, you eat them?"

"We eat the ball of light, it's what keeps us alive, I guess. They don't know, but their energy provides us with everything that's necessary to live all eternity." Derek shrugged holding Stiles gaze.  


"Okay, but you won't eat me?" Stiles tried again. He obviously needed the affirmation.

"No, I'm not going to eat you. We'll figure out a way to get you where you belong." Derek replied, sighing again. That had to be a record. "And just so you know: it was self-defense, it doesn't count, you didn't intent to hurt anyone."  


Stiles teared up and looked away. It took him a while to gather himself. "Thanks. For saying this." he whispered, voice still not steady enough.  


The floor looked like see-through tiles and he started to walk around, maybe he would feel a tell-tale pull like other times. "Hey, where are you going?" he heard Stiles scramble after him, shuffling his feet.

"I don't know. Like I said, this is new. Whatever happens, will happen."

"Oookay."

Time was just a human construct like God and Heaven and Hell, nothing really mattered here and so it didn't surprise Derek when they got bored. Well, Stiles got bored and it was infectious.  


"What would happen normally? Like, if you had reaped anyone else?" Stiles asked, trailing after him. They had walked earthly hours, or maybe days, Derek didn't know.  


"Normally, I supervise someone going into the light and then I feel another urge, transporting me to someone else and so on. Sometimes there are murderer or child abuser, rapists. Then I eat." Derek answered shrugging, a lot more at ease with saying this out loud.  


"Huh. Kinda ironic if you eat a cannibal." Stiles mused and made Derek laugh.

"I did, once. I actually got the satisfaction in telling him. He didn't like it." Derek smirked at Stiles over his shoulder, causing him to stop in his tracks.  


"Dude, I thought you were all shy and now you tell me you can be a totally mean asshole? You been holding out on me!" Stiles exclaimed, jogging the few steps to cut the distance between them.  


"Your soul isn't tarnished. I don't see the point in being mean to you." Derek replied and looked at him puzzled.

"That's...actually kinda sweet." Stiles smiled at him bashfully. Derek found himself using that exact word for him more often then not in his head. "Man, I'm so tired of this place, can't we go somewhere else? I mean, the Universe is cool and I'm totally into stars and planets, but it's not really something I want to hang out in for so long...if you catch my drift."  


"Then change it." Derek replied, raising his eyebrows expectedly. "It's _your_ intermediate world after all. It reflects what makes you feel most comfortable. We don't have to stay here."  


"Uhm, what? I thought you'll could bring us somewhere...Why are we walking around all the time, if we won't even reach any destination?" Stiles questioned him again.  


"It feels less useless to walk. I don't like standing around for too long." Derek shrugged and stopped walking.

"Okay...So what if I wanted to go back to earth? See people I love?" Stiles asked, but Derek hook his head.

"That's not possible. You can only imagine the place, but it's not the real deal. There won't be anyone else but us." Derek explained and the next thing he knows they're on a small town road leading into the city.  


Derek knows this city, has visited it a lot, thanks to Stiles proneness to be in danger all the time.

"Welcome to Beacon Hills." Stiles made a wide flourished gesture with his hands. "The Hellhole I grew up in. And unfortunately died in."  


They walked on the sidewalk, even though they were completely alone. "This reminds me an awful lot of Silent Hill. Heh, Beacon Hills, Silent Hill, get it? Man it's so accurate." Stiles said, apparently more to himself than Derek. Curiosity striked him and the Reaper looked into one of the windows of the many shops. It seemed like everyone collectively went out of town, though it was only a figment of Stiles imagination and in this case, probably a memory.  


When he continued to walk, his reflection caught Derek's eyes. It was the first time he saw himself. He didn't wear his robe anymore. That was the first thing he realized and looked down. _Huh._ Dark jeans and a grey Henley, both fitted tightly.  


"Oh, yeah, I thought you'd like a change in clothing. Damn. I'm gonna die again, this time of sexual frustration." Stiles groaned, after he gave Derek a very obvious once-over.  


"You can't die twice, Stiles." was all Derek was able to say to that, because _'What.'._

"Buddy, this right now shouldn't even be possible according to you and still, here we are." Stiles sounded way too smug about it.

"Shut up." he knew it had a petulant undertone, but Derek didn't care.

"Absolutely."

It was silent for a while, as they walked around aimlessly.

"Have you ever met other Reapers?"

"Yes. Mostly when there's a war or a lot of people die at once in an accident." he answered, remembering the last gathering. The deaths had been so pointless. "In times like this, we don't know who we're supposed to take, so we get a moment to actually talk with one another, until we feel a certain pull towards the person we have to take."  


"Man, I'm so pissed off that I can't research anything right now. Being dead is not cool." Stiles grumbled and made Derek laugh.

"It's not supposed to be." Derek bantered back. "Just for your information, most Mythological Creatures are real. Well, the ones who haven't gone extinct at least."  


"Oh man, why do I have this knowledge when I don't need it anymore? You could've come in handy _way_ before I died." Stiles grumbled.  


"You mean: _finally died._ I lost count how often I was standing there, waiting for your death." Derek replied, rolling his eyes heavenward.  


"I feel so loved right now." Stiles said, tone sarcastic, hand placed over his heart.

"I'm not sure I can feel that at all. But I do know what it's like to be annoyed." Derek threw back, hiding his smirk as he turned his face away from Stiles.  


Stiles asked him tons of questions in retaliation, about different creatures Derek might have reaped and also if famous people had been his to get. Derek didn't know about the last part. The Reaper told Stiles about the little girl, that had kicked him though and made Stiles laugh out loud. It was the most beautiful thing Derek had ever seen and heard.  


"Anyway...what was the saddest death you had to witness? I mean, it's obvious you Reapers are there before everything goes down, so...what was it?" morbid curiosity, Derek thought, as Stiles asked this.  


The Reaper closed his eyes and thought about it. There were a lot that stood out and it was difficult to choose. So he just picked the most recent. "A little boy, only five years old. He had been kidnapped and hurt badly by the man who held him captive. He starved to death, because his abductor was arrested for another felony. I had to watch him for a long time, several days even, because he was a fighter and didn't want to die. There was no one waiting for him, too young for anyone to have died he would actually know."  


"I regret asking." Stiles voice was thick with emotions. He had turned around and kept walking, so Derek caught up to him with two quick steps in his direction and held his wrist to make him stop.  


"He was reborn and is happy now." Derek assured him, but Stiles whirled around.

"How could you ever know this? It's impossible for you to keep track of everyone. There is no way you could actually know how he is doing right now!" Stiles exclaimed, probably furious at himself more than at Derek.  


"But I do. I can see people's souls and what will happen to them. Most times I don't bother to really look, but that was one I was invested in. I _needed_ to know his second time would end different and it will. He will die of old age, after a happy life. Normally I don't even look so far into it." Derek told him.  


"I don't understand how this works. What do you see, when you look at _my_ soul, how will I end up? Maybe that will clue us in to get me where I belong." this question shouldn't have come as a surprise, but Derek really didn't think Stiles would ask this.  


He couldn't lie though. "I tried earlier and there's nothing. I don't know where your soul belongs anymore. It was only clear for a moment, then it vanished."  


"Maybe you're supposed to eat me." Stiles stated, he didn't sound thrilled, but who would in his case?

"No! For the last time, that's not it. I will never eat you, Stiles." Derek had never been this angry. He hadn't known he was capable to feel this way.  


"Derek...be smart. You told me, you need to eat souls to live. One day you'll have to, if we don't find out where I need to go," resignation this time. "And if we never find a way, it will be your only out. If I'm gone, you'll get to walk away from my in-between place."  


"It'll dissolve into nothing," Derek replied, stepping onto the unoccupied street. "But I won't do it."

"Derek, come on, don't be stupid."

"I'd rather stay here with you, until I starve, than erase your soul forever. There's no way you could make me do that." Derek confessed. He would never tell Stiles, but he had visited him even when he didn't have to and watched him. At the time he hadn't known why he did it. He still thought it was a weird fascination with the one who always hopped off the metaphorical shovel.  


"But, when you die..."

"I cease to exist, because I don't have a soul, yes."

"So, it's either you or me who'll vanish into nothingness." Stiles eyes were glistening with tears again and his voice thick with sadness. "What if I offer myself? If I want my soul to turn into your light orb thingy?" he asked, looking at the ground now.  


"Don't. Stiles, please don't. I won't be able to talk to you then." he felt this strange attachment he had first recognized in the hospital, when Stiles mom died. It had been there every time he came to take him, though he had to leave without Stiles until now. The prospect of not being able to speak to him scared him more than anything.  


"But you wouldn't be able to stop me from doing it, right?" the former human asked and Derek nodded. "It would be my decision to save you."  


"I wouldn't be able to live with this knowledge. Your sacrifice would be in vain." his face felt different than usual and he saw Stiles staring back at him in surprise.  


"You're crying," he whispered. "Are Reapers able to feel emotions?"

"Some, but I've never cried before." Derek replied, touching his face and feeling the wetness on his fingertips. He had also never felt this helpless and this gut wrenching sadness.  


Stiles reached out and took hold of Derek's hand. There was the same warmth he had felt when Stiles arrived, coming from his passage way light back then. He always thought the warmth meant it was the love from the people who waited, in this case Stiles mother, but this confused him.  


"We're so stupid," Stiles said suddenly, coming even closer to cradle Derek's face. "I hope this is okay." he whispered, before his lips touched Derek's softly. This was something the Reaper had never thought he'd needed.  


His whole body thrummed with something he couldn't even begin to describe. It was like he had been lost all this time and found the right place at the right moment. Derek kissed Stiles back, mimicking the movement of his lips, causing them both to sigh in delight.  


Derek was on fire, in the most perfect way and when he opened his eyes again, unsure when he had even closed them in the first place, they were back in space. A soft warm light next to them, calling out to both Stiles and Derek.  


Stiles smiled at him, fingers interlaced with Derek's own now. "Are you coming with me?"

"I think so, but...How...? This shouldn't be possible." Derek couldn't wrap his head around it. He looked back at Stiles. "I still can't read your soul. I can't even see it, to be honest."  


All Stiles did was smile at him, like he knew something the Reaper didn't and was waiting for him to get it. Once everything fell into place, it was impossible not to see it.  


"I'm not a Reaper anymore." he stated, not sure why it didn't cause more initial panic than it did. It made sense. He lost his Reaper Robe, although he had thought it was Stiles doing, but maybe it wasn't.  


"Fate. Pretty sure it brought us together. And once we go, I just know they'll let us meet in some other way."  


"Probably." Derek breathed back, still comprehending that he had a soul now. And Stiles own seemed to want to stay with Derek, had wanted this from the very beginning. No wonder Stiles connection to his mom broke.  


Before they would go over, he tugged Stiles towards himself and kissed him again, already addicted to how it felt. "Wherever we end up, I'll find you." he needed to say this, in case they wouldn't be able to talk with Stiles mom there.  


"And I will be waiting for you," Stiles replied. "Come on, my mom will go crazy when she sees you again."  


Derek's: "That's what I'm afraid of." got stuck in the intermediate world, when they walked into the light. Stiles didn't even hear him, too riled up from what he saw next.  


"Heck yeah! I told you it'll be awesome!"

  


  


**Author's Note:**

> love you <3
> 
> Please leave a message after the tone: *piiiiep*....


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